Young Barbadian artistes stand to benefit from new scholarships and specialised training in Cuba, as both nations move to strengthen cultural and educational ties during the celebrations of CARIFESTA XV.
The offer was extended recently when Cuba’s Deputy Minister of Culture, Lizette Martinez Luzardo, paid a courtesy call on Minister of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment, Charles Griffith, at his Sky Mall, Haggatt Hall office. The Cuban delegation is in Barbados for the regional cultural festival.
During the discussions, Ms. Martinez Luzardo outlined areas of potential collaboration, noting that Havana operates 350 cultural houses across 268 municipalities, each managed by cultural promoters.
These centres, she explained, play a pivotal role in addressing youth issues such as violence, drugs, family challenges, and conflict resolution. She emphasised that Barbados could reap significant benefits from similar initiatives.
Minister Griffith welcomed the proposal and expressed Barbados’ interest in expanding cooperation in the creative industries, performing arts, sport, digital media, animation, and fine arts. He also highlighted the success of the existing partnership in sport, which has been strengthened by the presence of five Cuban coaches working with Barbadian athletes, and expressed hope of expanding this support to other disciplines.
He further stressed the importance of capacity building in dance and music, pointing out that “several of our dance tutors are aging or have passed on, and there is a critical need to strengthen training so our communities can continue to reap the rewards”. Mr. Griffith suggested that a training-of-trainers programme between Barbados and Cuba could bring long-term benefits for both nations.
Discussions also focused on opportunities in film and creative media, with Minister Griffith noting that Barbadian graduates of the Latin American Film School in Havana, including staff of the Ministry’s Digital Media Programme, are “able to hold their own anywhere in the world after receiving that training”. He added that the film and movie sector remains a multi-million-dollar industry, which Barbados is eager to continue developing.
Ms. Martinez Luzardo also spoke about Cuba’s success in training community musicians, an initiative which Mr. Griffith praised as “a fantastic idea”, given the need in Barbados for more concerts and greater participation in live music.
Both sides agreed that once a framework is established, Barbados and Cuba could begin seeing tangible results of this cooperation within the next year.
The Cuban Deputy Minister commended Barbados on the successful staging of CARIFESTA XV, praising the warm welcome and strong participation.
Those present at the courtesy call included Permanent Secretary Joy Adamson; Director of Youth Affairs, Cleviston Hunte; Principal Youth Development Officer, Andrea Titus; Youth Projects Coordinator, David Denny; and Ambassador of Cuba to Barbados, Yanet Stable Cardenas.